Perhaps the American Veterinary Medical Association chose February for dog parents to deep clean their pups choppers because everyone has given up on their human New Year's Resolutions?! Whatever the case, February is National Pet Dental Health Month — it's a yearly reminder for dog parents to pay attention to their dog's dental health and schedule a deep cleaning if necessary!

Non-anesthetic Dental Cleaning for Dogs

Deep dental cleaning without using sedatives has been trending over the recent years for lots of good reasons. Dog parents can be wary about putting their pets under anesthesia for dental care, especially senior pets. Sedated cleanings also cost more. Here are the top 5 reasons to consider a non-anesthetic cleaning for your dog this February:

1. No medications or sedation required.

2. No side effects.

3. No recovery time.

4. Reduces bad breath.

5. Helps maintain proper dental health.

Technicians utilize the latest techniques and gentle holding positions, which calm and relax the patient throughout the procedure, to obtain excellent results without stressing out you or your pet.

The path you take to your pet's dental wellness is up to you! And it's always best to start early, but never too late to slow damage or reduce bacteria. Until our pups can brush their own teeth, looks like it's up to us!

A fresh start to the year, everyone has a health resolution in mind. Don't leave out your pup! It's really tricky for them to do it themselves! Everyone knows annual visits to the vet and regular exercise is important, but there is also routine "grooming" care that is critical. But you say your dog doesn't need a haircut? That doesn't mean your pup doesn't need routine care to stay clean, and more importantly, healthy. Here are the biggies…

Cleaning Your Dog's Teeth

The importance of doggie dental care is much more important than most people know! Sure, we all know a deep cleaning once a year is a good measure, but other than stinky breath, what's the big deal? Read on…

- By age three, up to 80% of dogs have some stage of periodontal disease.

- When dogs have dental disease, bacteria can creep into a dog's blood stream and cause serious, systemic problems — and, even life threatening complications.

- Ramping up routine dental care could potentially add three or four years to your dog's life!

Time to visit your local dog care center or pet store, grab a doggie toothbrush and some tasty chicken flavored toothpaste and start brushing daily! Your dog will think it's a treat. His breath will be better and his health! Don't think you can swing that? There are oral solutions that can be added to your dog's water bowl to help fight bacteria too. Your local dog care professionals should be more than happy to show you some tips and point you toward the best products. Resolve to keep those choppers tip top and enjoy all the benefits that come with it!

Trimming Your Dog's Nails

The importance of keeping your dog's nails short goes far beyond aesthetics. There are few things that can easily happen when dogs' nails are left to grow. The nail can actually grow back into the paw — OW! This obviously is a huge bummer for your dog and can be a painful and expensive situation. Long nails can also start twisting and bending which can actually change the way a dog walks and even cause skeletal damage! Who Knew!? Lastly, the longer you wait to cut them, the more often you have to trim them to get them back on track. The inside "quick" grows and you don't want to cut into that if you can avoid it. It can be bloody and even painful. Keep those nails short!

- Find a good set of clippers (like Miller's Forge) and get some hand on tips by watching some videos and/or asking your local dog care professional

- Go a little at a time and reward your pup for a job well done!

- Trimming dog's nails can be stressful! There are local dog care centers that offer nail trimming services — so you can leave it to the pros and not sweat it!

Nails need to be cut on average every 2-4 weeks depending on the breed and how often they walk and run outdoors. Put it on your calendar and resolve to stay on top of it. You're little pal relies on you!

Our mission here at Scenthound is to get every dog the essential dog "grooming" care they need. We mean EVERY dog. Our founder and Scenthound crew make every effort to give free services and raise money throughout the year for dogs living in shelters, helping them get a "clean start". How much can a local company with three locations raise or donate?? We are proud to say over $80,000!

Clean Start Programs for Dogs in Shelters

Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and Animal Care and Control (both of Palm Beach County) are two organizations with mission statements that align with Scenthound's mission to help all of the counties dogs. In total our passionate crew donated over 2,200 "Clean Starts" to these awesome agencies in the past 12 months! That's over 2,200 dogs in Palm Beach County given baths, teeth brushings, ear cleanings and nail trims to get them ready for new homes.

Barks n' Beaches, Paws in the Park,Walk for the Animals

The incredible weather here in South Florida allows for lots of outdoor fundraisers for the animals of the county. Scenthound and its hard working crew always rallies to put on a five star dog wash (and nail trims!) and donates proceeds. Whether it's to support the care of our beautiful Jupiter Dog Beachor funds to help sick animals at Peggy Adams, you will see Scenthound they're doing their part for the community we all belong to.

Nov-Member Food Drive at Scenthound

In November 2016 we completed two initiatives to give back MORE! For every customer that became an essential dog care "member" in November Scenthound donated a meal to a shelter dog! Each location also collected food to Stock Peggy's Pantry. Pictured above is our founder, Tim Vogel, with over 400 lbs of cat and dog food! We always say: Give back, however big or little... and keep doing it. There are so many dogs in need and it just feels good to know we are all in it together.

Has your dog been itchin’ and scratchin’ a whole lot lately? It could be allergies! They can develop in dogs at any age just like humans. Here are some common symptoms, causes and most importantly ways to make it better! Since they can’t tell us what’s going on we need to be the detectives!

Hooray for you and your future family member! Shelter dogs can make the absolute best pets and with the right preparation can be a smooth transition into your family. We’ve put together some pointers to help you rescue a dog and add tons of love to your life.

Since our canine companions have a furry coat we rarely think about sun damage. But, dogs can develop lumps and bumps just like us, so it's important to get familiar with the landscape of their skin in case something sketchy pops up. It's always best if you can catch it early.